Curette.



PATENTED DEC. 25, 1906.

E. REAVLEY.

OURETTE.

APPLIOATION FILED 1330.21.1905.

W/TNESSES:

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ETHELBERT REAVLEY, OF ROSTHERN, SASKATCHEYVAN, CANADA.

CURETTE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 25, 1906.

Application filed December 21,1905. Serial No. 292,747.

The purpose of the invention is to so c011- str-uct the instrument that it will be of mod erately soft or semipliable material, preferably rubber, and so that one shank and handle can be conveniently and accurately fitted to different sizes of the instrument, and, further, to provide an instrument that may be safely inserted without injury to the neck of the womb and which will act to efl'ectively remove placenta or other fetal matter and substances without lacerating or inflaming intra-uterine tissue and without danger of producing new lesions and which will be in all respects much superior to metal instruments now used for the purpose or the finger of the operator.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the instrument complete. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the instrument, the shank of the handle and the blade appearing in side elevation. Fig. 3 is a view similar to that shown in Fig. 2, showing a slight change in the concavity thereof and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the blade-section of the shank.

The instrument A is provided with a removable shank B, having an attached or in tegral handle B, which is usually fiat, as illustrated, and at the outer end of said shank a collar 10 is formed, and a blade 11 extends outward from the shank adjacent to said collar, forming a shoulder 12 at what may be termed the front face of the blade, as is shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and, as is illustrated in Fig. 4, the longitudinal edges of the blade taper inward in direction of the shank, rendering said blade widest at its outer end.

The instrument A is made of moderatelysoft rubber or an equivalent semiplastic matcrial and is somewhat spoon-shaped in general contour. The instrument is of greatest breadth and depth at its outer end and of least such dimensions at its inner end, which is circular in cross-section. The back 13 0f the instrument is convexed, and the outer end '14 is rounded ofl, while the front face 15 is concaved, the convex and the concave surface meeting at an acute angle, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, and it may be here remarked that the longitudinal taper of the entire instrument is quite gradual.

A concavity 16 is produced in the front face 15 of the instrument,which concavity is segmental in the cross-section of the instrument and gradually diminishes in depth in direction of its inner end, thereby forming side marginal lips 1.7, continuous with an outer end marginal lip 17 the said lips forming the scraping edge of the curette. I desire it to be understood that the instrument A may be made in different sizes, and the concavity 16 may be made deeper or shallower than shown, and shorter or longer, as demanded by the service required of them.

All sizes of the instrument are provided with a longitudinal slot 18, Which extends outward from a circular opening 19 in its inner end. The slot 18 terminates short of the outer end of the instrument and is practically on a line drawn about centrally and longitudinally through the instrument, as is shown in Figs. 2 and The slot 18 receives the blade 11 and the circular opening 19 the outer end of the shank B and its collar 10. The blade 11 does not extend to the outer end of the body of the instrument, in order that the flexibility of the instrument shall not be interfered with at such point, and the blade 1 1 is offset to the rear in order that it will not be too close to the inner end portion of the concavity 16 and yet permit the shank to sustain a central position relative to the instrument.

The rubber instrument is far superior to steel, as the moderately-soft rubber Will not lacerate the inflamed intra-uterine tissue and thus produce a new lesion through which the gel ms would still further invade said tissues. It is superior to the finger because longer, and by its use all parts of the uterine cavity are easily accessible. Again, when using the finger it is necessary to depress the inflamed uterus against the finger, and such pressure can be employed only when using an anesthetic, if much tenderness be present. The pressure applied to the uterus through the abdominal treatment aggravates the pain and produces a further extension of the inflammation. Furthermore, all risk of perforating the softened uterine tissue is very greatly reduced, if not absolutely abolished.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A curette comprising a rigid shank provided with a flattened and widened end, and with an annular flange at the junction of the shank and the flattened portion, and a body portion of flexible material having a slot for receiving the flattened end, and an annular groove for receiving the flange, said body portion being provided with a concavity having a scraping edge for the purpose set forth.

2. A curette comprising a rigid shank, and a flexible body portion, said body portion having in the side thereof a concavity provided with a scraping edge for the purpose set forth.

3. A curette comprising a rigid shank, and a flexible body portion or blade provided in one ofits faces with a concavity, the surfaces of the concavity and the body portion meeting at an acute angle to form an edge for the purpose set forth.

4. A curette comprising a rigid shank, and a blade having a flexible edge for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ETHELBERT REAVLEY.

Witnesses:

SUsAN CRAIG, G. A. MOHUGH. 

